LAKE CHARLES, La. (Feb. 6, 2019)—USA Boxing, the national governing body for Olympic-style amateur boxing, chose Lake Charles to host the 2020 Olympic Trials in Boxing and National Championships, December 7-15, 2019, at the Lake Charles Civic Center, 900 Lakeshore Drive. The event will feature both male and female elite and youth boxers from across the United States.
Last year, Eric Zartler, sales director at the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau (LC/SWLA CVB) made a presentation to the USA Boxing Board of Directors in Salt Lake City on behalf of the LC/SWLA CVB, Lake Charles Civic Center and local event partners. There were multiple destinations bidding to host this prestigious tournament.
“USA Boxing is tremendously excited to join with Lake Charles to bring the Olympic Trials to the Gulf Coast. The city’s warm hospitality and Southern charm, great people, climate and culture make for a perfect fit to crown our next generation of champions and give our coaches, boxers and officials a special experience,” said Michael Campbell, manager of operations and events.
“We are truly excited about this historic opportunity, the largest single sporting event in Lake Charles’ history. The LC/SWLA CVB is to be commended for their tireless efforts to put our area on the map as the destination for events of this stature. This is further evidence of great things happening in Lake Charles. This will be greatly beneficial for local businesses as well. We look forward to rolling out the red carpet and showcasing our great city to competitors and others with USA Boxing,” said Mayor Nic Hunter of the City of Lake Charles.
“We are proud to be chosen as the host for the 2020 Olympic Trials in Boxing and National Championships this coming December. This event is the largest-ever sports group to visit Lake Charles, bringing over 6,500 total room nights in the span of two weeks during a slower travel period. 2019 will also be the 25th anniversary celebration of the 1984 USA Boxing Olympic Team, who made history on the Olympic stage, winning a total of 11 medals. We are looking forward to working with the entire hospitality community in the Lake Area to treat USA Boxing to Southern Hospitality – Southwest Louisiana style,” said Zartler.
The event is projected to attract more than 800 boxers and generate more than 6,500 total overnight stays, with the estimated economic impact anticipated to be over 2 million dollars. The tournament begins with weigh-ins and technical meetings. Boxing matches will be held December 10-15, with the majority of the events taking place inside the Sudduth Coliseum and the Olympic Trial championship matches being held at the Rosa Hart Theatre to determine which boxers will represent the USA in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The anniversary of the1984 USA Boxing Olympic Team will bring star power to the Lake Area with possible visits by Tyrell Biggs, Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whittaker and Evander Holyfield, just to name a few.
Updated information will be available throughout the year. For the latest, visit www.visitlakecharles.org/USABoxing or learn more at www.teamusa.org/USA-Boxing.
